Personality Traits in Relation to Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome and ADHD Inattention in Two Samples of Children

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective Cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS; previously referred to as sluggish cognitive tempo) is a set of behaviors, including excessive mind-wandering, mental fogginess, and hypoactivity, that are separate from ADHD inattentive (ADHD-IN) symptoms and linked to functional outcomes. However, CDS and ADHD-IN symptoms are strongly associated, and our understanding of whether personality correlates are similarly or differentially linked to CDS and ADHD-IN is limited. The objective of the current study was to examine personality correlates of CDS and ADHD-IN symptoms across two independent samples of school-aged youth. Method Study 1 included 207 school-aged children (ages 7–11; 63% male; 87.9% White) with or without teacher-reported elevations in CDS. Study 2 included 263 school-aged children (ages 8–12; 58% male; 75.3% White) with the full range of CDS symptomatology. Parents and teachers completed ratings of ADHD-IN and CDS, and parents also reported on their child’s personality dimensions. Results Across two samples and controlling for demographic characteristics as well as ADHD-IN symptoms and other personality traits, higher levels of FFFS-fear/shyness were uniquely associated with higher levels of parent- and teacher-reported CDS symptoms. In most models, lower levels of BAS-drive were also uniquely associated with higher levels of CDS. In contrast, when controlling for demographic characteristics and CDS symptoms, higher levels of BAS-impulsivity/fun-seeking were uniquely associated with higher levels of parent- and teacher-reported ADHD-IN symptoms. Discussion The findings provide the clearest evidence to date that personality dimensions are differentially associated with ADHD-IN and CDS symptoms in children, further underscoring CDS as a distinct construct from ADHD-IN.